Methods for Protecting Skin

ABSTRACT

A method of using a film-forming material for pre-treating an area of skin to reduce friction-related skin irritation, resulting in a reduced risk of acquiring skin chafing and/or blisters, such as may be caused by the wearing of shoes that abrade skin, and particularly including heels, said method comprising the steps of providing a dispensing device containing a film-forming material that includes a friction-reducing and/or friction-blocking element, and applying such film-forming material to an area of skin to reduce friction and thereby reduce the risk of acquiring chafing and/or a blister.

This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/549,856, filed Aug. 24, 2017.

A method of using a film-forming material for pre-treating an area ofskin to reduce friction-related skin irritation, resulting in a reducedrisk of acquiring skin chafing and/or blisters, such as may be caused bythe wearing of shoes that abrade skin, and particularly including heels,said method comprising the steps of providing a dispensing devicecontaining a film-forming material that includes a friction-reducingand/or friction-blocking element, and applying such film-formingmaterial to an area of skin to reduce friction and thereby reduce therisk of acquiring chafing and/or a blister.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to methods of skin treatment and inparticular to skin pre-treatments for reducing skin irritation resultingfrom friction against an area of skin, such as for example may be causedby the wearing of heels or other abrasive shoes.

The invention is not limited to specific fields-of-use. But, however,one example is the pre-treatment of skin for reducing risk of acquiringskin irritation resulting from friction against an area of skin as maybe caused for example, and without limitation to the wearing of shoes,and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following discussion of the prior art is made without prejudice, andspecifically does not constitute an admission that the invention hasbeen previously known or used.

A common cause of skin irritation, resulting in skin chafing and/orblisters, includes friction. Known devices for treatment of skin againstirritation resulting from friction or pressure are in the form ofdressings (such as patches and/or bandages), which are typically appliedafter irritation has occurred. Such dressings can be adapted to slipover adjacent materials.

Naturally occurring, derivatized naturally-occurring and other polymershave been tested as liquid adhesive coatings for bandage applicationsand, in some cases, utilized commercially. Typical examples arenitrocellulose in various solvents (e.g., New Skin-Medtech Laboratories,Inc., Cody, Wyo.), aqar in water and diethylene glycol (U.S. Pat. No.4,291,025) carrageenan and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose in water (U.S.Pat. No. 4,318,746), and alginate in glycerin (U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,048).All of these natural polymers can support microbial growth, hencerequiring the addition of a preservative or antimicrobial agent to theproduct. The liquid bandages based on water, diethylene glycol,glycerin, etc. are not only susceptible to microbial growth, but areoften also slow drying due to high heats of vaporization; and are oftenwater-sensitive, which can result in problems when used on areas of thebody exposed to water. One commercial product, New Skin, does dryrapidly and is not water sensitive, but can cause stinging and furtherirritation of the skin upon application. None of these prior patentscreate a film designed to absorb extended periods of friction, and areall instead to serve as a wound covering post hoc irritation. Moreover,these bandage products are universally intended as “treatments” ofwounds and not systems for “prevention” of chafing/blisters.

A few synthetic polymers have been patented for use as liquid adhesivecoatings for bandage applications, most notably polymers containing2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,066). These bandagesbased on the use of solvents can sting abraded areas; and the films canswell and wash off when in contact with water. For example, U.S. Pat.No. 4,569,784 claims an ointment, not a long-lasting bandage composed ofan emulsion of water and silicone fluids, among other fluids. Thisreference can provide for an immediate soothing, but often notlong-lasting treatment of the skin or mucous membranes. It also does notprovide for fast drying, abrasion resistance, and other attributes whicha polymer film can provide.

Additionally, traditional wound and surgical bandages, such as Band-Aids(Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, N.J.), comprised of film backingswith adhesive, may contain silicones as part of either the adhesive orthe backing (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,817). These products are notapplied as liquid adhesive coating where films form and adhere directlyon the skin.

Liquid bandages for application to human and other skin have beendescribed in the prior art for various purposes, including the deliveryof medications to the skin surface. These include United States PatentApplication 20060025516 entitled “Tissue protecting spray-on copolymericfilm composition” to Shalby et al. for forming a film which can containa bioactive agent including those to have antimicrobial, anesthetic,anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing activities. However, these productsare not applied as liquid adhesive coatings where films form and adheredirectly on the skin. This defect in the art may have led Salamone etal., (U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,893) to develop a liquid polymer-containingcoating material which can act as a bandage or dressing to protectwounds post hac, and when applied in liquid form and air-dried on thealready formed wound to form an adherent, solid protective film withoutsignificant stinging to the skin or mucous membranes of the user. Theliquid polymer-containing coating material of U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,893was noted to consist essentially of a siloxane-containing polymer and asolvent system comprising a polar solvent in small amount and a volatileliquid which is non-stinging to a user but provides bulk and formabilityto the liquid. Preferably, the polymer thereof is present from 1 to 40%by weight, the volatile liquid from 59.9 to 98.9% by weight and thepolar solvent from 0.1 to 10% by weight. When the polar solvent iseliminated, the volatile liquid can be in amounts of 60 to 99%. Thesolvent is minimized to obtain flowability desired at the lowest solventlevel feasible which purportedly minimizes stinging. The material formsa coating or bandage in the form of a dried film when applied to asurface or the skin of a user.

Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,893 allegedly claims that combinations ofalky siloxy siloxane-containing polymers admixed with liquidpolydimethylsiloxanes are excellent non-stinging, non-irritating liquidcoating materials for forming films which act as conformable bandagesadhering to and protecting nails, skin, and mucous membrane existingwounds from yet further abrasion, contamination, and desiccation, whilestopping pain from exposed nerve ends and allowing body fluidevaporation. However, to those skilled in the art of polymers, thecompositions of U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,893 (1) are expected to result inlow tear strength films because of being made of low-strengthpolysiloxane-based chains; (2) are not expected to form, in a timelymanner, a solid film at the application site because of the lowvolatility of their major constituents; (3) are expected to yieldhydrophobic films that have low or no tendency to adhere to moist tissuefor sufficient periods of time—i.e., these films offer no advantage overregular bandages; and (4) are not expected to yield thin films ondifficult-to-reach areas. Such undesirable features of U.S. Pat. No.4,987,893 (and the prior art that preceded this patent) have led to thedevelopment of the amphiphilic, water-insoluble spray-on liquidcompositions subject of this invention which provide low friction,flexible alternatives to regular and “liquid” bandages, that flex as theskin moves, strongly adhere to the skin, and stay intact as the barrieris continuously contacted by a shoe or item of clothing, for example.

Other examples of the application of film-forming compositions to theskin have been attempted for the purpose of reducing friction. One suchexample is United States Patent Application 2011/0250147 to Sher et al.entitled “Method and System for Reducing Skin Friction”, and the priorart cited therein. However, the Sher invention is generally notoptimally effective—inasmuch as it relies solely upon the taught acrylicco-polymer supposedly but ineffectively to reduce friction and does notcontain a specific active agent for the reduction of friction. Also, theSher et al. chemical coating does not effectively flex with skin, andtherefore tends to crack quickly upon application as the skin moved,rendering it ineffective. Moreover, the Sher et al. formulation isdisqualified for human use as it contains substantial amounts ofn-pentane, which is highly toxic.

See https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/idlh/109660.html

Objects of the Invention

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate atleast one of the disadvantages of the prior art, and/or to provideuseful alternatives.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a skin pre-treatmentfor reducing risk of acquiring chafing and/or a blister by providing areduced coefficient of friction in a topically applied film-formingmaterial.

It is a yet further object of the invention to provide compositions andrelated methods that:

-   -   1) Are intended as pre-treatment, not applied to        wounds/irritation post hoc;    -   2) Are totally clear, so as not to be visible when worn in        visible locations such as on the feet or ankles;    -   3) Are designed to be safe as a cosmetic (no known toxic        solvents or aerosol agents);    -   4) Form a flexible coating that can move with skin by virtue of        plasticizers that are compatible with, and pre-blended with the        acrylic co-polymer;    -   5) Form a coating strong enough to endure continued        friction/abrasion;    -   6) Utilize a friction-reducing agent;    -   7) Utilize an aerosolized formulation to enable rapid dry time;        and    -   8) are initially water and sweat-resistant, adhere strongly        enough to the skin to form a strong and stable coating, but yet        will break down on its own naturally and/or will allow it to be        washed off with water and washcloth using no chemical remover.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a method ofpre-treating an area of skin to reduce the risk of acquiring skinirritation, the method comprising the steps of:

-   -   providing an aerosol-based dispensing device containing a        film-forming material; and    -   applying film-forming material to an area of skin, for        pre-treating an area of skin to reduce friction and thereby        reduce the risk of acquiring skin irritation that can result        from friction against the area of skin.

Preferably, the method reduces the risk of acquiring skin chafing. Morepreferably, the method reduces the risk of acquiring a blister.According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a use of afilm forming material for the preparation of a medicament forpre-treating an area of skin to reduce the risk of acquiring skinirritation that can result from friction against the area of skin.Preferably, the use reduces the risk of acquiring skin chafing. Morepreferably, the use reduces the risk of acquiring a blister.

Preferably, the film forming material is dissolved in a solvent. Morepreferably, a dispensing device containing the film forming material ispressurized such that the film forming material can be spray-applied inan aerosol format, and will dry in less than 90 seconds at average airtemperatures and pressure.

Preferably, the film-forming material includes an acrylic co-polymer.More preferably, the film-forming material includes:

-   -   dimethyl ether at about 50 percent w/w;    -   acrylic co-polymer at about 4-10 percent w/w;    -   a plasticizer at about 1-5 percent w/w to enhance overall        flexibility;    -   a friction-reducing agent at about 1-7 percent w/w;    -   ethyl, methyl, isobutyl or isopropyl or other acetates at about        35 percent w/w; and    -   with material avoidance of toxic organic solvents, such as the        n-pentane solvent of the prior art (see        https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/idlh/109660.html) Plasticizers can be        selected from ethylene and propylene glycols and their esters,        butyl cellosolve, butyl carbitol, Triethyl citrate, m,p-cresol        propoxylate, alkyl benzyl phthalate, alkyl benzyl phthalate,        dialkyl adipate, dioctyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate or        phosphate, diesters of phthalic and benzoic acids, triphenyl        phosphate, trimethyl pentanyl diisobutyrate, acetyl tributyl        citrate, ethyl tosylamide, and sucrose benzoate.

Acrylic co-polymers can be selected from Acrylates Copolymer, AmmoniumAcrylates Copolymer, Ammonium/VA Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium AcrylatesCopolymer, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Ethylene/Calcium AcrylateCopolymer, Ethylene/Magnesium Acrylate Copolymer, Ethylene/SodiumAcrylate Copolymer, Ethylene/Zinc Acrylate Copolymer, Ethylene/AcrylicAcid/VA Copolymer, Acrylates/PVP Copolymer, Acrylates VA Copolymer,Steareth-10 Allyl Ether/Acrylates Copolymer, Acrylates/Steareth-50Acrylate Copolymer, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer,Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer,Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, AmmoniumStyrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer,Acrylates/Hydroxyesters Acrylates Copolymer, Methacryloyl EthylBEtaine/Acrylates, Lauryl Acrhylate/VA Copolymer, VA/ButylMaleate/lsobomyl Acrylate Copolymer, Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer,Vinyl Caprolactam/PVP/Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, SodiumAcrylates/Acrolein Copolymer, PVP/DimethylaminoethylmethacrylateCopolymer, AMP-Acrylates Copolymer, Polyacrylic Acid, AmmoniumPolyacrylate, Potassium Aluminum Polyacrylate, Potassium Polyacrylate,Sodium Polyacrylate, urethane/Acrylate Copolymer.

The friction-reducing agent can be selected form a siloxane, cancomprise a cyclosiloxane, the cyclosiloxane being selected from thegroup consisting of cyclomethicone, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane,cyclopentasiloxane, cyclotetrasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane, andcycloheptasiloxane; a polyether siloxane copolymer; a DimethiconeCopolyol—i.e., polymers made from dimethicone and polyoxyethylene and/orpolyoxypropylene, such as Dimethicone PEG-8 Adipate, Dimethicone PEG-8Benzoate, Dimethicone PEG-7 Phosphate, Dimethicone PEG-10 Phosphate,Dimethicone PEG/PPG-20/23 Benzoate, Dimethicone PEG/PPG-7/4 Phosphate,Dimethicone PEG/PPG-12/4 Phosphate, PEG-3 Dimethicone, PEG-7Dimethicone, PEG-8 Dimethicone, PEG-9 Dimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone,PEG-12 Dimethicone, PEG-14 Dimethicone, PEG-17 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-3/10Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-4/12 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-6/11 Dimethicone,PEG/PPG-8/14 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-14/4 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-15/15Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-16/2 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-17/18 Dimethicone,PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-19/19 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-20/6Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-20/20 Dimethicone,PEG/PPG-20/23 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-20/29 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-22/23Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-22/24 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-23/6 Dimethicone,PEG/PPG-25/25 Dimethicone and PEG/PPG-27/27 Dimethicone.

The acrylic copolymer can comprise one or more selected from thefollowing: Acrylates Copolymer, Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer,Ammonium/VA Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer,Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Ethylene/Calcium Acrylate Copolymer,Ethylene/Magnesium Acrylate Copolymer, Ethylene/Sodium AcrylateCopolymer, Ethylene/Zinc Acrylate Copolymer, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid/VACopolymer, Acrylates/PVP Copolymer, Acrylates VA Copolymer, Steareth-10Allyl Ether/Acrylates Copolymer, Acrylates/Steareth-50 AcrylateCopolymer, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer,Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer,Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, AmmoniumStyrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer,Acrylates/Hydroxyesters Acrylates Copolymer, Methacryloyl EthylBEtaine/Acrylates, Lauryl Acrhylate/VA Copolymer, VA/ButylMaleate/lsobomyl Acrylate Copolymer, Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer,Vinyl Caprolactam/PVP/Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, SodiumAcrylates/Acrolein Copolymer, PVP/DimethylaminoethylmethacrylateCopolymer, AMP-Acrylates Copolymer, Polyacrylic Acid, AmmoniumPolyacrylate, Potassium Aluminum Polyacrylate, Potassium Polyacrylate,Sodium Polyacrylate, urethane/Acrylate Copolymer,

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way ofexample only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a dispensing device containing a filmforming material according to the invention as applied by way of exampleonly and without limitation to the instep of a foot; and

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for a method of applying film forming materialaccording to the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the invention there is provided a use of afilm forming material for the preparation of a medicament forpre-treating an area of skin to reduce the risk of acquiring chafingand/or a blister, as herein described.

Referring to FIG. 1, a dispensing device 100 contains a film formingmaterial 110. By way of example, the film forming material 110 is in theform of an acrylic co-polymer dissolved in non-toxic solvent, andpressurized for use in an aerosol form.

Using the aerosol dispensing device 100 to pre-treat an area of skin ona foot 120, a film forming material 110 can be sprayed 112 onto an areaof skin 122 for forming a membrane. Although shown as applied to theinstep therein, the compositions hereof may be applied to any area ofthe foot, particularly including the heel, or to any other part of thebody. Preferably, the membrane is water resistant. More preferably, themembrane is air permeable. Wherefore, it will be appreciated that theaerosol dispensing device 100 can pre-treat almost any area of the bodyto reduce the risk of acquiring chafing and/or a blister.

It will be appreciated that, by way of example only, pre-treatment cancause the formation of a water-resistant air-permeable membrane over anarea of skin to provide friction protection and thereby reduce the riskof acquiring chafing and/or a blister.

In an embodiment, the film forming material is in the form of an acrylicco-polymer dissolved in a non-toxic solvent and pressurized in anaerosol format. It will be appreciated that other film-forming materialscan be used in accordance with the teaching herein, for pre-treating anarea of skin to reduce friction and thereby reduce the risk of acquiringchafing and/or a blister.

Referring to FIG. 2, an example method 200 of applying a film formingmaterial, may include:

-   -   STEP 210: providing a dispensing device containing a        film-forming material; and    -   STEP 220: applying a film-forming material to an area of skin,        for pre-treating an area of skin to reduce friction and thereby        reduce the risk of acquiring chafing and/or a blister.

In one preferred embodiment, applying a film forming material comprisesspraying a non-irritating solvent-based film forming material onto anarea of intact skin for reducing skin friction, which is a common causeof chafing and blisters. It will be appreciated that the method 200 canbe both effective and convenient in reducing skin friction.

It will be appreciated that the illustrated method provides a skinpre-treatment for reducing risk of acquiring skin irritation that canresult from friction against the area of skin. Preferably, the methodreduces the risk of acquiring skin chafing. More preferably, the methodreduces the risk of acquiring a blister.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specificexamples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that theinvention may be embodied in many other forms.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases“in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughoutthis specification are not necessarily all referring to the sameembodiment, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures orcharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would beapparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, inone or more embodiments.

Any one of the terms comprising, comprised of or which comprises is anopen term that means including at least the elements/features thatfollow, but not excluding others. Thus, the term comprising should notbe interpreted as being limitative to the means or elements or stepslisted thereafter. For example, the scope of the expression “a devicecomprising A and B” should not be limited to devices consisting only ofelements A and B. Any one of the terms including or which includes orthat includes as used herein is also an open term that also meansincluding at least the elements/features that follow the term, but notexcluding others. Thus, “including” is synonymous with and means“comprising”.

As used herein, unless otherwise specified the use of the ordinaladjectives “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., to describe a commonobject, merely indicate that different instances of like objects arebeing referred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects sodescribed must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, inranking, or in any other manner.

Similarly, it should be appreciated that in the above description ofexemplary, preferred or alternative embodiments of the invention,various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in asingle embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose ofstreamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one ormore of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure,however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that theclaimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited ineach claim. Rather, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of asingle foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims subsequentlyhereof are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description,with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of thisinvention.

Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some butnot other features included in other embodiments, combinations offeatures of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope ofthe invention, and form different embodiments, as would be understood bythose in the art. For example, any of the claimed embodiments can beused in any combination.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are setforth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the invention maybe practiced without these specific details. In other instances,well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown indetail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description.

Thus, while there has been described what are believed to be preferredembodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognizethat other and further modifications may be made thereto withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to claimall such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of theinvention. For example, any formulas given above are merelyrepresentative of procedures that may be used. Functionality may beadded or deleted from the block diagrams and operations may beinterchanged among functional blocks. Steps may be added or deleted tomethods described within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of reducing frictional engagement uponthe skin of a human being, comprising: providing a liquid comprising aneffective amount of a non-toxic water-insoluble occlusive film-formingpolymer in a topically-acceptable, non-toxic medium, a friction-reducingagent, and a carrier solvent; applying the liquid to the skin of a humanbeing; and permitting the carrier liquid to dry, and thereby to form afriction reducing film.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid isapplied to the skin of the human foot.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinthe liquid contains at least one modifier.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the liquid contains at least one defoamer.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the liquid contains at least one plasticizer selectedfrom the group consisting of ethylene and propylene glycols and theiresters, butyl cellosolve, butyl carbitol, Triethyl citrate, m,p-cresolpropoxylate, alkyl benzyl phthalate, alkyl benzyl phthalate, dialkyladipate, dioctyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate or phosphate, diesters ofphthalic and benzoic acids, triphenyl phosphate, trimethyl pentanyldiisobutyrate, acetyl tributyl citrate, ethyl tosylamide, and sucrosebenzoate.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plasticizer is presentat about 1-5 percent w/w.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquidcontains includes an aerosol propellant.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein the aerosol propellant is dimethyl ether.
 9. The method of claim7, wherein the aerosol propellant comprises dimethyl ether and ispresent at about 50 percent w/w; the polymer comprises acrylicco-polymer and is present at about 4-10 percent w/w; thefriction-reducing agent is present at about 1-7 percent w/w; and thecarrier solvent is present at about 35 percent w/w.
 10. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the carrier solvent is selected from the groupconsisting of ethyl acetate, methyl acetate, isobutyl acetate, andisopropyl acetate.
 11. The method of claim 1, with material avoidance oftoxic organic solvents.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the Acrylicco-polymers is selected from the group consisting of AcrylatesCopolymer, Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer, Ammonium/VA AcrylatesCopolymer, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer,Ethylene/Calcium Acrylate Copolymer, Ethylene/Magnesium AcrylateCopolymer, Ethylene/Sodium Acrylate Copolymer, Ethylene/Zinc AcrylateCopolymer, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid/VA Copolymer, Acrylates/PVP Copolymer,Acrylates VA Copolymer, Steareth-10 Allyl Ether/Acrylates Copolymer,Acrylates/Steareth-50 Acrylate Copolymer, Acrylates/Steareth-20Methacrylate Copolymer, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer,Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Styrene/Acrylates/Ammonium MethacrylateCopolymer, Ammonium Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, SodiumStyrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Acrylates/Hydroxyesters AcrylatesCopolymer, Methacryloyl Ethyl BEtaine/Acrylates, Lauryl Acrhylate/VACopolymer, VA/Butyl Maleate/lsobomyl Acrylate Copolymer,Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer, VinylCaprolactam/PVP/Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, SodiumAcrylates/Acrolein Copolymer, PVP/DimethylaminoethylmethacrylateCopolymer, AMP-Acrylates Copolymer, Polyacrylic Acid, AmmoniumPolyacrylate, Potassium Aluminum Polyacrylate, Potassium Polyacrylate,Sodium Polyacrylate, urethane/Acrylate Copolymer.
 13. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the friction-reducing agent is a siloxane selected fromthe group consisting of: a cyclosiloxane selected from the groupconsisting of cyclomethicone, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane,cyclopentasiloxane, cyclotetrasiloxane, cyclohexasiloxane, andcycloheptasiloxane; a polyether siloxane copolymer; and a DimethiconeCopolyol polymer, selected from the group consisting of DimethiconePEG-8 Adipate, Dimethicone PEG-8 Benzoate, Dimethicone PEG-7 Phosphate,Dimethicone PEG-10 Phosphate, Dimethicone PEG/PPG-20/23 Benzoate,Dimethicone PEG/PPG-7/4 Phosphate, Dimethicone PEG/PPG-12/4 Phosphate,PEG-3 Dimethicone, PEG-7 Dimethicone, PEG-8 Dimethicone, PEG-9Dimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone, PEG-14 Dimethicone,PEG-17 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-3/10 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-4/12 Dimethicone,PEG/PPG-6/11 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-8/14 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-14/4Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-15/15 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-16/2 Dimethicone,PEG/PPG-17/18 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-19/19Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-20/6 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-20/15 Dimethicone,PEG/PPG-20/20 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-20/23 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-20/29Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-22/23 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-22/24 Dimethicone,PEG/PPG-23/6 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-25/25 Dimethicone and PEG/PPG-27/27Dimethicone.